Everton Fail to Find a Way Past Woodgate

No one who has endured Tottenham's defending this season would doubt the wisdom of Juande Ramos lavishing a fortune on his rearguard but there are still some deficiencies the Spaniard has yet to cure. Away from home, for example, they continue to carry the threat of a wet sponge.

One win on their Premier League travels this season is the injection of reality into Tottenham's world following the delirious heights of last week's Carling Cup humiliation of Arsenal. Until the elaborate talents of Robbie Keane and Dimitar Berbatov have the service to even threaten a team missing as many key servants as Everton did last night, however, then progress outside of domestic cup competitions may remain painfully slow.

This could have been a precursor of the Carling Cup Final had Everton been able to match Tottenham's "perfect night" against Arsenal in their semi-final against Chelsea. Alas, perfection was not on the agenda for either team one week on and this was a slow-burner immersed in mediocrity until the home side improved before the interval.

Jonathan Woodgate was handed a debut two days after his £8m arrival from Middlesbrough. A fragile frame has long cast doubt on the 28-year-old's ability to provide value for money, though 46 league starts in 15 months at The Riverside represents a marked improvement on seven in two years at Real Madrid, but his pedigree has never been in question. Hence the £35m-plus spent on Woodgate since he left Leeds United five years ago and his timing, strength and reading of the game was invaluable for Tottenham here.

The new signing quickly showed the aerial strength Tottenham have sorely lacked at times in defense this season when, from Everton's first meaningful attack and an inviting cross from Mikel Arteta, he intervened with Victor Anichebe primed for a center-forward's header. The loss of Tim Cahill and Leon Osman to suspension and injury respectively further diluted the attacking threat of David Moyes' side, who have missed the leading goalscorer Yakubu Ayegbeni badly because of the African Cup of Nations.

Andrew Johnson has filled the void left by the Nigerian intermittently and twice he failed to react to half chances inside the visitors' area as Phil Neville began to find space and accuracy down the right and Leighton Baines, a makeshift left winger, found his stride.

First the England international forward allowed a knock-down from Anichebe to roll across his path when limited time and space demanded an instant shot three yards from goal, then a cut-back from the young striker sailed through Johnson's legs at the near post. Baines swiped at the loose ball and Woodgate threw himself forward to intercept.

Johnson's pace remains his strongest asset, however, and it brought a flat occasion to life when he stole in ahead of Tom Huddlestone as the pair pursued Neville's long ball into the area and was sent sprawling. To the naked eye contact seemed to have been made between the defender's right leg and the striker's heel though TV replays, certainly from the angle the referee Andre Marriner had of the incident, were inconclusive.

At the start of the second half Mikel Arteta almost found a route beyond the resilient visitors with a darting run through their defense. The Spaniard's shot from an acute angle beat Radek Cerny, but also the far post by inches. Johnson then had the opportunity of the night when a turn of pace and penetrating pass from Manuel Fernandes put him clean through on goal but he shot low into the chest of Cerny and produced only a corner.

Tottenham's brightest moment arrived courtesy of a dreadful pass out of defense by Neville to Berbatov, arguably the last player on the pitch to gift an opening to on the edge of the area. The Bulgarian released the hitherto anonymous Keane on the left, though his powerful drive could not beat Howard.